Dimensions
by Englishgirl
Summary: Set after OOTP. Harry wakes up to find himself in a world of turmoil and confusion. what's wrong with Remus and why is his father there?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter - wish I did - I wouldn't have killed.AHEM.THIS FIC CONTAINES SPIOLERS FOR OOTP!!!!  
  
BEWARE!!!!!!  
  
DIMENSIONS  
  
Harry, stood gazing out of his window at privet drive, sadly contemplating the previous year. Thinking about what had happened at the ministry building made him want to scream with anguish. He was having nightmares like he had never previously thought possible.  
  
The Dursley's were steering well clear of him and were only spoke to him when really necessary in overly cheerful voices, so as not to upset him - which would incur the wrath of a large group of wizards.  
  
Harry started to feel slightly dizzy. 'Maybe I've forgotten to eat again' Harry thought. When he got lost in thought about what had happened, it was sometimes hours before he finally broke that chain of thought. Harry glanced at the repaired alarm clock on the bedside table; it read 6:00 am.  
  
That meant he must have been awake all night, staring out of the window, part of Harry didn't care, what did it matter anymore anyway? The other part of him was currently concerned by the rate at which the dizziness seemed to be increasing.  
  
The world was spinning faster and faster. Harry blacked out.  
  
When he awoke, he found himself laying on the pavement in a deserted street that Harry did not recognise. He stood up. In the distance he could hear the shouts of a wand fight. Harry pulled out his own wand for protection and looked around.  
  
Harry began to walk quickly from the sounds of the battle. "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Harry's wand flew out of his hand. He turned and found himself face to face with none other than Remus Lupin and another man he did not recognise. They were both dressed in aurors uniforms.  
  
Remus waved his wand. Ropes flew out of the tip and bound Harry tightly at the wrists and ankles. "What are you doing?!"  
  
Remus and the other man approached him and grabbed him by each arm. Harry struggled. "What are you doing? Let me go!!" harry twisted out of their grips, but the ropes bound him too tightly and he fell, unable to thrust his arms out to take the fall.  
  
When Harry came round the first thing he was aware of was a throbbing pain in the side of his head. He must have hit it when he fell. He opened his eyes to find that he was currently laying in a dimly lit room. He sat up and noticed that he was no longer in his jeans and sweater and was instead in a ragged brown set of robes,  
  
Remus was standing in the doorway looking at Harry with a look of mingled anger and sadness. He pointed his wand at Harry "Get up."  
  
Harry stood shakily. What was going on? Where was he? Was Remus a death eater?  
  
"Professor please, what is happening?"  
  
"What did you just call me?" Remus snarled  
  
Harry stared, Remus's voice was filled with hate. This man was a far cry from the kind, quiet voiced man he thought he knew.  
  
"you taught me defence against the Dark arts at Hogwarts. I just never got out of the habit of calling you professor.." Harry tailed off at the look on Remus's face  
  
"What games are you playing? Until about four months ago I was-" he stopped suddenly, set his face into a neutral expression and approached Harry. He dragged Harry along a dark corridor.  
  
As they walked Harry felt the waved of cold that could only mean one thing.dementors!  
  
"No. Please!" Harry yelled as he was pulled closer to them.  
  
They were walking along a corridor with barred doors on either side. Azkaban?  
  
They stopped in front of an empty cell and Harry's eyes widened in horror. "NO!"  
  
Remus opened the door and shoved Harry to inside, who stumbled to his hands and knees. He could only watch as Remus walked away. Then it hit him. The familiar feeling of falling through swirling white mist..cold.  
  
//Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! I'll hold him off!//  
  
//Not Harry! Please I'll do anything//  
  
//Kill the spare//  
  
//Harry.Take my body back will you?//  
  
//There's nothing you can do Harry.nothing...he's gone//  
  
// HE - IS - NOT - DEAD! SIRIUS!//  
  
It seemed to last forever. A couple of times Harry was aware of being moved, but mostly there were just memories.  
  
Gradually, the feeling began to subside. He was tied to a chair. There were voices around him.  
  
"I didn't think he'd react to dementors like that, after only two days" Remus voice came, sounding more it's normal self.  
  
"Maybe he's feeling guilty." Who's voice was that?  
  
"I know this is hard James, but I've never seen the boy show any semblance of guilt." Remus replied softly.  
  
James? Harry thought. He opened his eyes and found himself in a room containing what looked like almost every member of the Order of the Phoenix that he had ever met. Harry turned his head to the left and saw one of the people that had been haunting him for the last two days. It was his father!  
  
Harry's fear and confusion became more profound as he looked at the face that was so like his own.  
  
"Dad?" the man glared, his features hardening  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
Harry recoiled  
  
"Just get on with is Albus!"  
  
Minerva then spoke up "Is he to have the kiss?"  
  
"No, not till he's 18, it's the law."  
  
Albus walked up to Harry and unscrewed a bottle of clear liquid. As Harry remembered him doing with crouch, Albus forced a few drops into his mouth.  
  
Immediately Harry felt calm, like he wasn't really there.  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"Harry Potter,"  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"15"  
  
seemingly satisfied, Albus stood and motioned for Minerva to begin taking notes.  
  
"Where is Sirius Black?"  
  
"He's dead."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Bellatrix Lestrange killed him."  
  
"Didn't she die five years ago?" Remus whispered to James, who shrugged.  
  
"What were you doing when you were captured?" Albus asked evenly  
  
"I was lost."  
  
"You were lost?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How did you become 'lost'?"  
  
"One minute I was looking out of the window, and the next I was in the middle of a street."  
  
"How did you get there?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe-"  
  
"THIS IS REDICULOUS!" James shouted, snapping Harry out of his potion induced state of calm "He can obviously resist veritaserum!"  
  
Dumbledore stood back "I am forced to agree. Remus, take him back to his cell."  
  
Remus untied Harry and began to pull him back to the door. Filling with terror, Harry struggled, shouting "NO! I haven't DONE anything. Please! I can prove it, Uncle Vernon will tell you. NO-"  
  
James had stepped in as Harry struggled and at this hit him, hard, across the face.  
  
"After everything you've done, torture, rape, murder, you still deny it! We've all seen you! Just shut up!"  
  
Harry was dumbstruck. Some distant part of his mind remembered Hermione telling him about parallel universes. Could he have somehow been transported to one?  
  
Remus and James continued to pull Harry along the corridor, when in the other direction came running Snape and Peter (!).  
  
"James, Remus." Peter puffed "We've got him!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Harry Potter!" Peter exclaimed  
  
"Who's that?" Snape asked suddenly  
  
"Harry." Remus said  
  
The four adults looked at each other in bemusement.  
  
"I think I've been pulled here from another world" Harry said bravely through the cut lip his father had give him "This world - everything's wrong."  
  
Remus and James looked carefully at the boy they were restraining. He looked the same as 'their' Harry except "Where did you get that scar?" Remus asked sharply  
  
"Voldemort tried to kill me when I was a baby. Mum stopped him."  
  
"This is a trick." Snape said "Take him to a cell and we'll work out what's going on here."  
  
**James POV**  
  
As James pulled his struggling son along the corridor, his head was spinning. What if this boy was telling the truth? He could be imprisoning an innocent.  
  
Since Harry had been bought in, James had forbidden Dumbledore from telling anyone, except Lily, of course, and the members of the order that had been around when Remus announced his capture of Harry.  
  
He had the surprise of his life when he arrived in Harry's cell and seen him pale and shaking on the floor. He had expected to see him his usual cold, emotionless self. Hard cold eyes that seemed to bore through to your very soul.  
  
When he had called him 'Dad' eyes wide and scared, James thought he was going to faint. Then he had remembered the manipulative teenager who had tortured Remus.  
  
This Harry was different, his eyes were like his mothers, every emotion reflected in their depths. He seemed incapable of harming anyone.  
  
James sighed in confusion. Eventually, he and Remus reached a cell.he took the boy inside and left him, locking the door. He watched as Harry fell to the floor, face white as snow, muttering incoherently under his breath.  
  
"Do you believe he's from another world or just another trick of Voldemort's?"  
  
"I don't know." James answered honestly  
  
"He called me professor. If it's an act, it's a very good one. But then, having been a prisoner of his, I wouldn't put anything past him."  
  
James walked with Remus to the fireplace that would return them to Hogwarts. In Dumbledore's office, Severus and Peter were informing the others of their arrest.  
  
"He struggled, cursed us. Eventually we stunned him after about an hour and dragged him to Azkaban."  
  
James and Remus described their experiences with Harry.  
  
"How can we tell though? Asked Minerva  
  
"And who's to say that if he is from another world, he isn't as bad as our Harry?" Remus added.  
  
Severus who had been looking pensive for the last few moments, cleared his throat impressively. All heads turned to him.  
  
"We could always use a potion."  
  
"What?" said Dumbledore abruptly  
  
"There is a poison that has been used in the relatively small number of cases in the past. Make him drink it. If he is telling the truth, then his molecular structure will be very slightly different and he will not be affected."  
  
"And if 'it' is from this world?" Peter asked  
  
"It'll hurt. And we all know what a terrible shame that would be."  
  
"Will it be lethal?" Remus asked  
  
"Unfortunately not." Severus said, smirking.  
  
James's expression darkened but he remained silent.  
  
Albus ordered Severus to make the potion and contact them when it was complete. James went to update Lily on what had happened.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
three days had passed in Azkaban and the memories were becoming almost too much to bear. Loosely Harry wondered if he was screaming, he wanted to. How had Sirius been able to last so long?  
  
Again the memories abated. Harry groaned and yanked his eyes open. This time he found himself staring into the face of his mother. Harry stayed silent and took in her face, the familiar green eyes looking back at him dubiously.  
  
"He's awake." She said quietly  
  
Harry was currently laying on the floor of Dumbledores office. Remus picked him up and sat him in a chair. Harry was too exhausted to bother trying to struggle. He just wanted to sleep peacefully. He closed his eyes and leaned back, ignoring the room full of people.  
  
"Harry." Dumbledore said sharply, shaking Him.  
  
Harry looked tiredly up at him.  
  
"I need you to drink this."  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked, voice hoarse.  
  
"It will prove whether or not you are from this world." Harry stared at it.  
  
"You are going to drink it. If you refuse, we will make you." Snape said irritably  
  
Dumbledore handed the vial to Harry who downed the potion in one. Harry sat there expecting something horrible to happen. All he felt was a slight tingling in his arms and legs. The others were staring at him expectantly.  
  
"It should have worked by now." Snape said  
  
"So it's true? He's from another world?" Lily asked  
  
"yes."  
  
Hope filled Harry "So you're not going to send me back to Azkaban?"  
  
"We need to ask you some questions first."  
  
"You're not going to use veritaserum again are you?"  
  
"I'm afraid we must." Dumbledore replied  
  
Harry lowered his head. How much longer was this hell going to continue?  
  
**James's POV**  
  
Now that it was proven that this was another Harry, the differences became more apparent. He was more polite and seemed honest. Two qualities that his Harry never demonstrated.  
  
When Peter and Severus had bought his son in James and Lily went to see him.  
  
He was leaning against the wall; face blank, those cold eyes staring emptily ahead. No matter what he was experiencing on the inside, none of it showed. Lily had then demanded to see this other Harry.  
  
He was worse than last time James had seen him. The boy was laying weakly on the floor, shaking harder, tears coursing down his face, quiet moans of anguish escaping him. It was Lily's comment that disturbed him most.  
  
"This is our son. Who he should be."  
  
When Voldemort had taken their infant son and raised him, brainwashed him, he had always wondered what he would have been like. However, as he began committing atrocities, James found he wondered less and less.  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"He's showing emotion. I've never seen him do that before. I think he's telling the truth."  
  
James wasn't sure whether he agreed or not. He had seen some pretty sick 'tricks' over the years.  
  
"I wonder what he's been through. To act like this." Lily had muttered quietly.  
  
When snape's potion had been completed, it struck James how thin Harry was. Apparently he had to be force fed to eat anything over the past 5 days, it looked like it had been going on longer than that though.  
  
Now that he knew Lily was right he could quite plainly see that Voldemort had not raised this boy.  
  
"You're not going to use veritaserum again are you?"  
  
"I'm afraid we must."  
  
Dumbledore raised a bottle of clear liquid.  
  
"No!" James snapped suddenly "Look at him, he's exhausted, starved and emotionally drained. Let him sleep."  
  
Harry than made eye contact. Gratitude obvious on his face.  
  
"Alright. I want him watched at all times though."  
  
"James and I can do that." Lily said.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
"James and I can do that."  
  
Harry raised his head, surprised. HIS parents were going to spend time with him. Okay so that thought he was a murderer, but all the same, it was his family. Perhaps he could convince them of his innocence.  
  
James picked Harry up, grimacing slightly at the large bruise he had given him. Harry relaxed slightly and allowed himself to be carried to the hospital wing.  
  
Lily tucked him into a bed after helping him change into a clean set of PJ's. She then sat on the bed next to his with James, arms around each other.  
  
The silence was awkward. Harry was desperate for something to say to them, but exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep.  
  
His dreams were full of the images he had seen in Azkaban. He felt himself being shaken awake. His mothers face came into focus above him.  
  
"Mum?" he said drowsily. Lily's eyes showed great sadness but she nodded anyway.  
  
"You were clutching that scar on your forehead." she said worriedly  
  
James also looked concerned. "You said you got it when Voldemort tried to kill you."  
  
"Yeah." Harry took a deep breath "When I was one Voldemort came to our house. He killed my dad and tried to kill me, but mum wouldn't let him." James and Lily held hands "she begged him to kill her instead so he did. The he turned his wand on me and cast Avada Kadavara"  
  
"What?" James asked in shock "And you lived?!"  
  
"Mum's sacrifice protected me. The curse rebounded and hit him. Voldemort's body was destroyed."  
  
"He died?" Lily asked  
  
"No. But it took him 13 years to get his body and powers back."  
  
James and Lily looked at Harry appraisingly, as though too stunned to know what to say.  
  
"It made me famous. I'm known as the 'boy-who-lived'"  
  
"What happened to you without us?"  
  
"I was supposed to live with Sirius" Harry gulped " but Peter who betrayed you - he was secret keeper - framed him for murder and faked his own death."  
  
"He did what?"  
  
"Yeah. Sirius was sent to Azkaban. He escaped as padfoot three years ago" a lump was forming in Harry's throat.  
  
"Who did you live with then?" Lily asked  
  
"Your sister's family."  
  
"Petunia? But she hates me. She would have treated you horribly!"  
  
"It wasn't fun." Harry said evenly not wishing to elaborate further.  
  
"I can imagine."  
  
Harry told them what had happened in the graveyard, but was unable to discuss the following year because the memories were too raw. He found himself breathing deeply, trying to keep calm.  
  
"You and our Harry are so different." Lily commented. James left the room to tell Harry's story.  
  
"Why does he so those things?"  
  
"A long time ago it was prophesied that Harry or another boy would one day destroy Voldemort. (Harry sighed at this) I guess, he thought, if an enemy that powerful was being born, one that he could get to early enough he could somehow brainwash the child to work with him rather than against him. So that's what he did. He ignored Neville, who did not seem powerful enough and raised my son as his heir. Second in command. We all know that if he steps out of line Voldemort will kill him, but he's too brainwashed. Everything he thinks comes from Voldemort, or Sirius Black."  
  
"Sirius?!"  
  
"Yeah. He is different in this world. He betrayed us by kidnapping our son for Voldemort and helping to raise him to be evil."  
  
Harry didn't know what to say. Both of them sat there barely restraining themselves from tears. As Harry was about to mount a defence for his Sirius, his mother spoke up  
  
"I know you're not MY son but."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I hug you?"  
  
Harry put his arms around the woman and it wasn't long before they were both crying for what they had lost.  
  
A/N wow. Long chapter. Wrote this on paper months ago. Had to modify it to account for OOTP. Let me know what you think. Should I carry on? 


	2. chapter 2

Disclaimer: don't own Harry Potter!!!  
  
Thank you to those of you who reviewed!! I am sorry for the delay in updating - first I was in hospital, then recovering, then holiday - you get the gist.  
  
DIMENSIONS - chapter 2  
  
The next morning, when Harry opened his eyes, he saw that once again Remus had his wand pointed at him. His mother however was asleep in a chair beside his bed. He sat up, amazed at how weak he had become over the course of the week, and looked at Remus apprehensively.  
  
"well, congratulations. You have James and Lily convinced, as for the rest of the order, they are on their way here with a bottle of veritaserum." Remus said, a cold expression on his face.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reply but couldn't think of anything, so he closed it again. he lay back on the pillows, and stared at the ceiling. The large wooden door opened and everyone that was present at his first interrogation entered the room.  
  
James walked up and shook Lily awake. Dumbledore approached the bed and sat at the end.  
  
"James has told me your story Harry, but I am afraid that I can't put much faith in it until you are tested with this", he gestured to the bottle of Veritaserum in his hand.  
  
He dripped it into Harry's mouth and stood back for it to take effect.  
  
***James's POV***  
  
James watched as the blank look again crossed Harry's features. He believed what Harry had told him about Voldemort, but the stuff about Sirius and Peter, that was unbelievable - he knew these men. Sirius was the traitor - not Peter!  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat and began asking questions to confirm what Harry had already told them. He asked how Harry got his scar, and about the fidelius charm that had protected his parents. The story was confirmed.  
  
Dumbledore then expanded the questioning. He asked what Sirius had done after he escaped from Azkaban. Harry immediately went into detail about how Sirius had intended to kill Peter but how he had been stopped. The story went on. Sirius had not been proven innocent and had instead gone into hiding and working for the order.  
  
Harry had then revealed that Sirius had died protecting him. James, having got over the shock of Sirius actually being decent, looked upon Harry with Pity. The boy had clearly been through hell, and here they were, subjecting him to an inquisition.  
  
Dumbledore asked a couple of questions pertaining to where Harry's loyalties lie and then gave him the antidote to the Veritaserum. Lily was crying again. James approached his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, surprised at the lump in his own throat.  
  
Members of the order were muttering to each other about what to do now. Remus had his head resting in his hands. James could only imagine the torment that this was putting him through.  
  
Harry was sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring blankly off into space. Just as James moved to ask the boy if he was alright, Dumbledore called him and Lily to follow him outside.  
  
James hesitated, turned and followed Dumbledore, leaving McGonagall with Harry.  
  
***Harry's POV***  
  
Everyone left the room, with the exception of his transfiguration professor. Harry shook his head as if to throw of the reverie about Sirius into which he had sank.  
  
McGonagall was giving Harry an appraising stare. In order to break the uncomfortable silence (well, near silence, he could hear the rest of the order having an urgent discussion outside of the hospital wing), he spoke up  
  
"Are you the transfiguration teacher in this world as well?"  
  
Looking startled, McGonagall replied "Uh, yes. I am". She paused "Is this world very different, aside from the differences that you spoke about?"  
  
"Not really. The people here seem - I don't know. they didn't have a break like on my world. Everyone seems more like, tired."  
  
"Yes. The war has been hard on everyone."  
  
"aside from Peter, Remus, my parents and - Sirius, everyone seems to be quite similar in personality."  
  
"so you are a student of Hogwarts?"  
  
Harry made to answer, but again the door opened and the order re-entered. They all looked relatively satisfied. Before Dumbledore even opened his mouth, Harry knew that a plan would be coming out of it.  
  
"Harry, I believe in your dimension that you attend Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yeah." Harry said, thinking that this was a better start than he had anticipated  
  
"We have decided that you are to come here as a student when school starts up tomorrow. Obvioiusly you cannot attend under your own name, as you are a known deatheater in this world." Harry nodded  
  
"you will be sorted today and before the feast tomorrow night, you will be taken shopping for clothes."  
  
"who am I going to 'be'?" Harry asked  
  
"you will pose as Lily's nephew. It is not well known that she has a sister, as they don't exactly get on. Therefore it is reasonable to suggest that said sister's son could have been a wizard without anyone knowing."  
  
"So where have I been studying for the past five years?"  
  
"At a much smaller magical school in Devon, they specialise in taking in muggle borns."  
  
"oh. Why have I decided to come here?"  
  
"because, that school was attacked by deatheaters at the end of last year. Nobody was hurt, but we can tell everyone that your 'mother'"  
  
"Aunt Petunia?"  
  
"Exactly, was worried for your safety and contacted Lily who works here as a nurse and could get you in."  
  
Harry nodded his approval of the plan and sighed. the irony of the situation not escaping him.  
  
"Right, in order to pull this off your appearance must be changed." Harry felt horrified. He did NOT want to look like his cousin  
  
"I will give you red hair to resemble your mothers and alter your facial structure so you don't look like James. That way there will still be a family resemblance but not a very strong one. What colour eyes would you like?"  
  
a wave of relief spread through Harry. Obviously they had never met his cousin. "Brown." Harry answered  
  
Dumbledore and McGonagall pointed their wands at him and began to transfigure his features. James took his glasses and altered their shape, making them more oval with thin frames.  
  
Harry looked into a mirror that Tonks handed him, and gasped. He looked very different, but still, quite handsome, and fortunately, did not have the body mass of Dudley Dursley.  
  
The order left the room. Lily went to get Harry some robes and James helped him out of bed. "Hungry?" he asked kindly  
  
"Yeah." Harry answered.  
  
"You need to put on some weight, rebuild yourself. I think Azkaban took a lot out of you."  
  
"Sirius survived there for twelve years, and I was a complete mess after the first few days." Harry commented, then immediately wished he hadn't as James's features darkened.  
  
"Look" James said eventually "you have recently lost someone close to you and were flung to the dementors without any warning at all. It's probably why it hit you like that."  
  
"In my world, Dumbledore hates the dementors. He would never use them. Anyway, they are servants of the dark lord."  
  
"It was like that here as well. Flitwick was trying to find an easier was to repel dementors than a patronus, as so many can't do it, and stumbled across a way to control them. Then, as times became desperate enough, we decided to use it."  
  
"oh."  
  
Lily came into the room and gave Harry a set of robes. Once he put them on they walked together down to the hall for breakfast.  
  
Harry was so happy to have the chance to get to know these people. Since hearing his story they seemed to trust him and even care for him. He looked at his father as they made their way towards the hall. James was supporting Harry by the elbow.  
  
"What do you do for a job?" Harry asked  
  
"Oh. I'm the defence teacher."  
  
"So you'll be teaching me?"  
  
"That's the general idea." James responded with a smirk.  
  
They sat down at one end of the almost empty staff table. Snape sat at the other end casting surly looks at them every now and again.  
  
Harry tried not to be too pig like as he ate. It felt like he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks. James and Lily kept looking at him appraisingly when they thought he wasn't looking.  
  
"So" Lily said by way of conversation "What are you good at in school?"  
  
"Quidditch." Harry said immediately  
  
"Really?" James asked "Seeker?"  
  
"Yeah." Harry replied, suddenly hit with a vision of James playing with the stolen snitch that he had seen in Snape's pensieve. He cast a look at the aforementioned potions master out of the corner of his eye, wondering what sort of relationship he had with his father in this world.  
  
"How did you do in your OWLS?" Lily asked  
  
"ok. I passed everything except divination and history of magic."  
  
"how did you do in defence?" James asked curiously  
  
Harry reddened slightly, and said "Outstanding"  
  
James smiled. "Well hopefully you'll like my classes. I try to make them interesting."  
  
Breakfast now finished, Harry, Lily and James made their way to Dumbledore's office. The sorting hat was sitting on Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore came round the desk and motioned for Harry to sit down.  
  
"Well Harr - sorry, Dudley, you know the how this works?"  
  
"Yes sir." Harry replied  
  
Dumbledore placed the hat on his head. The sorting hat started to mutter  
  
"well, this is difficult. You have a great deal of Slytherin in you, bravery however seems to be one of your greatest assets - and failings. Quite clever too, so, what to do."  
  
Harry thought hard, as he had done years ago 'not Slytherin, not slytherin'.  
  
The hat considered a moment more before bellowing "Gryffindor!"  
  
Fawkes squawked indignantly at the noise, and relieved smiles broke out on the faces around the room.  
  
"Congratulations Harry. Is that the house you are 'normally' in?"  
  
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded  
  
"Right. Well, I'll inform Minerva of her additional student. Meanwhile, I'd like you to rest. I'm sure Lily can have you feeling a lot more yourself by tomorrow."  
  
Harry stood, said goodbye to Dumbledore and followed his mother from the office. Once they were back in the hospital wing, Lily gave Harry some nutritional and strengthening potions and left him to sleep. She also bought up some sixth year reading material in case the mood took him to do some reading when he awoke. 


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!!!!!  
  
THANK YOU!!!!! To all reviewers.  
  
Dimensions chapter 3  
  
When Harry awoke the next morning he was feeling much stronger. His mother's potions had obviously done the trick. He got out of bed and got dressed in the same robes that he had worn the day before.  
  
Harry then sat down, wondering where everybody was and picked up a book to read. He wasn't sure yet if he was allowed to leave the hospital wing alone, but he was really hungry.  
  
He leaned into the armchair and began to read 'the Standard book of spells - grade 6'. After about twenty minutes the doors to the hospital wing opened and a man with colourless hair and a rat like face entered the room, smiling jovially. Harry froze.  
  
**Peter's POV**  
  
"Good morning Dudley. Sorry you've been alone, a meeting overran." Peter looked into Harry's face and noticed the anger in his eyes. Stuttering slightly he continued, "S - So, I am going to bring you to the great hall, where everyone else will be heading for breakfast. Is that ok?"  
  
"Yeah." came the tense reply.  
  
Peter stood and watched as Harry pocketed his wand, looking suspiciously at him. Peter had gotten the shock of his life when he found out that in that Harry's world he was the equivalent of the Sirius Black of this one. No wonder the boy didn't trust him! But still, the members of the order were putting so much faith into him; surely Harry could return some of that faith.  
  
The two of them walked out of the room and down towards the hall. Harry had his hand in the pocket that the wand was in. Peter sighed in irritation  
  
"Dudley stop, please."  
  
Harry stopped, facing Peter as though expecting to duel him.  
  
"Look, I know that the Peter in your world betrayed your parents and bought You - know - who back, but that's not me! I would die for them as they would for me!"  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
"I would die for them as they would for me!" That sentence sent Harry's mind spinning back in time to his third year at Hogwarts.  
  
//"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"//  
  
Paling slightly Harry faced one of the men that regularly haunted his nightmares.  
  
"I can't trust you, I'm sorry, but I can't, for exactly the same reason as Remus Lupin of this world can't look me in the eye. You hurt me, helped murder one of my friends and stole MY blood to bring Voldemort back. It's because of you I have no parents!"  
  
Peter stood back as though slapped, then said in a small voice "that wasn't me."  
  
Harry looked at the man; there was no silver hand, no missing finger. After a long silence Harry said, in a softer voice, "I know. But what you have to understand is that when I see you, although part of me knows that you are a different person, the other part is telling me to - I don't know, run away or attack or something. Maybe that will go away if I am trapped here for a long time, but at the moment."  
  
"I need to earn your trust."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Peter, looking slightly placated smiled slightly and the two of them continued to the Hall.  
  
"So, do you work here?" Harry asked, curious as to how often he was likely to run into the man.  
  
"Yes. I'm not a teacher though. A couple members of the Order live at Hogwarts to provide greater protection for the students."  
  
"Who else?"  
  
"Moony - sorry Remus Lupin, Charlie Weasley and Eryn Moonstone. Do you know them?"  
  
"I don't know Eryn."  
  
"She's half vampire. Only comes out at night."  
  
They entered the Hall. Lily and James waved Harry over to sit with them. Relieved, he sat down in between James and Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Sleep well?" James asked  
  
"Yeah. I feel loads better this morning."  
  
"Good"  
  
Harry helped himself to bacon, eggs and toast.  
  
"Dudley, did they do careers advice at your school?" McGonagall asked  
  
"Yes. I am going to try to be an auror"  
  
"Were your OWL results sufficient?"  
  
"yes, only just though."  
  
"Which subjects do you want me to sign you on for?" McGonagall asked, taking some parchment and a quill out of her bag  
  
"Uh, Defense against the dark arts, charms, transfiguration, potions, and uh -"  
  
McGonagall was quickly writing a list as Harry spoke  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Care of magical creatures."  
  
"Right. Anything else? Although the Ministry ask for five NEWTS, it really is preferable to take more than that in case you fail one."  
  
"Oh. Well I suppose I could do astronomy - I got acceptable for that."  
  
"Right. I'll ask Professor Sinistra. She doesn't often take students with that grade."  
  
Harry felt slightly defensive "I probably would have got a higher grade if the circumstances were different."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Halfway through my exam you and Hagrid were attacked by Umbridge and some of her minions. It was a little distracting."  
  
"Delores Umbridge? What was she doing at Hogwarts?" Lily asked  
  
"the ministry placed her in Hogwarts as DADA teacher to spy on Dumbledore. Umbridge was given the ability to fire teachers she didn't approve of. Hagrid was one of them so she and six others went to his hut and tried to forcibly remove him - at least I think that's what she was doing, then you came to defend him and they hurt you too."  
  
"Oh - yes well I see how that could have proved a distraction, especially from the astronomy tower from where you would have got an excellent view. I'll make sure she takes you."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"An auror huh?" James asked, looking impressed  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He clapped Harry on the shoulder with a smile and returned to his breakfast.  
  
Three hours later, James and Harry flooed to Diagon alley. As Harry stepped out of the fireplace of the leaky cauldron, he was amazed at some of the differences. There were dark detectors on every wall and a security troll at the door, that seemed to be hired as a bouncer.  
  
Hagrid was sitting at one of the tables talking to Madame Maxime. When James stepped from the fireplace Hagrid waved him over.  
  
"James! How's it goin?"  
  
"alright thanks." Harry tried to smile in a friendly way as Hagrid looked him over curiously. "Oh! Sorry. This is my nephew, Dudley. Dudley, this is Hagrid."  
  
"Pleased to meet you." Harry said, shaking hands with the giant  
  
"Dudley is transferring to Hogwarts this term, Griffindor."  
  
"tha's great. Why aren't you on the Hogwarts express?"  
  
"I came to Hogwarts by floo this morning so that James could take me shopping for my school stuff." Harry lied quickly  
  
Hagrid nodded in understanding. "Doin care of magical creatures?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"That's my class. I'll see yeh there."  
  
James and Harry said their goodbye's and left the pub. 


	4. chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP  
  
THANKS TO ALL REVIEWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Dimensions - chapter 4  
  
James and Harry walked up Diagon Alley, Harry had to avoid nodding to people that he knew in the other world. They bought robes, books, potions supplies and a broomstick.  
  
"So, what would you like as a familiar?"  
  
Harry considered for a moment, pausing to think of Hedwig. He couldn't replace her. "a cat please."  
  
"Ok. The magical menagerie is just up here." James pointed to the building from where Crookshanks came.  
  
They entered, and after a lot of deliberation, Harry selected a white cat with odd eyes (one green one blue).  
  
"right. I think that's everything you'll need for school...but if we are going to make this convincing you are going to need some other possessions. Posters and stuff. What's your quidditch team?"  
  
"um. The cannons." Harry said quickly thinking that this might help him to become friends with Ron.  
  
The two headed back up the street towards he quidditch shop.  
  
A siren rang out, a loud whining sound. The noise of the crowd stopped abruptly. It was as if the entire street had been frozen. Then, just as suddenly chaos ensued. People began running, mothers calling out frantically for their children. Others began disapperating.  
  
"Death eaters!" James exclaimed. "Keep low and inconspicuous. We have to get the Leaky Cauldron. One of the only safe houses in the area."  
  
James grabbed Harry tightly by the wrist and began pulling him along. As they ran they were pushed and shoved from all directions. Harry and James tried to blend in with the evacuating crowd as death eaters appeared around them.  
  
"Why-" Harry asked  
  
"Not now Dudley!" James interrupted.  
  
Some of the death eaters began to march into shops, wands raised threateningly. Others were attempting to break up the fleeing mass. The family in front of Harry and James fell as they were stunned, so they ran around them, narrowly avoiding running into a display of potions ingredients outside the apothecary. Harry had to run very fast to keep up with his father, who had not relinquished his vice - like grip on Harry's arm. In his haste, he did not notice a man sprawled on the floor and tripped.  
  
James bent down briefly to help him up. As they stood and prepared to continue their sprint, they found their path blocked by a tall man in a death eaters mask.  
  
Blue eyes glittered maliciously within the eye holes.  
  
"Jamsie. Well, well, well. Just the man I've been looking to kill."  
  
James pulled out his wand and faced the man furiously. Harry felt as though his blood turn to ice, he would recognise that voice anywhere. He stood, rooted to the spot, unable to speak.  
  
"What have you done with my godson?!"  
  
"He's in Azkaban where he belongs." James said bitterly  
  
Sirius laughed that familiar bark - like laugh "wow! Such family loyalty."  
  
"As I'm sure you remember, he ceased to be a member of my family the moment you snatched him!"  
  
Harry was listening to this furious dialogue in a kind of numbness, still frozen in place. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sirius would never talk like this, James was his best friend!  
  
"who's the kid?" Sirius asked.  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
Sirius repositioned his wand, making sure it pointed right at James's heart. Harry felt the first vague fluttering of panic.  
  
Finding his voice, he yelled "Stop!"  
  
"You CAN talk! What's your name?" Sirius said with an eerie sort of delight.  
  
"Don't tell him anything!" James shouted.  
  
"just making conversation before he has to watch his babysitter die!"  
  
James cast a stunning spell at Sirius which he easily deflected.  
  
"Nice try." Sirius commented before sending a curse at James. Harry pulled out his own wand.  
  
Before he had the chance to use it he felt two large hands holding him back.  
  
"Let go! He's going to hurt my d - uncle!" Harry struggled. He was pulled into a fireman's carry and was dragged backwards through the alley, watching as the two men were absorbed in a brilliant light that came as they cursed each other.  
  
Harry looked down, unable to watch any longer, as one of the men fell to the ground. The moleskin overcoat betrayed the identity of his 'rescuer'.  
  
"Hagrid, put me down!"  
  
they entered the pub. The silence within rang in his ears after the door was closed, damping the wailing siren.  
  
"How'd you know it was me?" Hagrid asked putting Harry down; next the shopping bags that Hagrid had also felt needed rescuing.  
  
"you're so tall."  
  
"You should see my brother." Hagrid said with a smile  
  
Remembering why he was in the leaky Cauldron with Hagrid, Harry paled and headed back toward the Alley, wand raised.  
  
"no. you're to stay here." Hagrid said restraining Harry.  
  
"James is in danger!" Harry yelled, struggling against the giant.  
  
"He can take care o' himself. Probably already gone back to Hogwarts."  
  
The innkeeper, Tom, waved the two of them frantically over at that point as the fireplace was now available.  
  
Hagrid threw the powder into the fire and ushered Harry in afterwards. "Go to the hospital wing. Your aunt'll probably be wonderin' where you are."  
  
As Harry span into the infirmary fire place, his mother came running up to him looking extremely relieved.  
  
"Where is-"  
  
"I'm fine." James said. Walking next to his wife.  
  
"I managed to catch him with a nasty hex that knocked him to the ground. I then disapperated."  
  
A/N there u are for now. A really short chappie I know. the next one will be longer 


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: as before!!  
  
As always, thank you for your kind reviews!!!!! They are very motivating!  
  
oHarryo- is the alternate dimension Harry  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Harry was arranging his things in the Griffindor dormitory, still reeling about how close he had come to loosing his father - again, and repeating over and over in his head that the Sirius he had met in that alley was not his Godfather, it was just a death eater that looked like him.  
  
A door opened behind him, and he spun around nervously, finding himself facing Remus. Harry sighed in relief.  
  
"the students are going to arrive in a minute, I'm here to take you to the Great Hall."  
  
"Uh. Right. Thanks." Harry replied a little uneasily.  
  
Remus nodded briskly and held the door open for him. Harry pulled on his hat and left the room, Remus closely following.  
  
***Remus POV***  
  
He watched as the boy pulled on his hat and edged past him out the door. He was unrecognisable now, but Remus still knew it was him inside. It mattered little what the other members of the order told him, he wasn't about to blindly trust this boy.  
  
Remus kept one hand in his pocket at all times when around Harry, his hand in a white knuckle grip on his wand. He remembered, being promised mercy when he was first taken prisoner, given a nice cell and the promise of a hearty meal and a place within the deatheaters if he betrayed his friends.  
  
Of course he refused. The death eaters then changed tack, playing on the intolerance of the wizarding community on werewolves, claiming that no such prejudice existed within Voldemort's circle. Again Remus flatly refused.  
  
That was when he met oHarryo. He came in wearing black velvet robes. His pale face calm. He asked, in a straightforward way "will you help our cause?".  
  
Remus had at first been too stunned by his similarity to James to answer, but eventually stammered out his answer. "n-n-no I won't"  
  
oHarryo had regarded Remus with a cold sneer and called out to the guards standing at the door. That was when it began. He was dragged off to cold, damp cell and chained there, a prisoner. oHarryo had then taken immense pleasure in torturing Remus in every conceivable way. Sirius often came to watch. Jeering in the background, whispering in oHarry'so ear. Those whispers were always resulted in unbelievable agony.  
  
After his escape he took months to fully recover, almost loosing his nerve to fight in this battle. It took a long time, but with the help of his friends he was finally coming to grips with his past.  
  
And then this boy had come. Everything was confused now. He had no idea what to think, how to react. He had fed Lily and James this sad story and they had believed him without question. Now he had the whole order convinced. But what if he wasn't telling the truth?  
  
Until he had evidence to the contrary he would go with what the rest of the order decided, but there was no way that he was going to let his guard drop.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
Harry walked quickly at Remus's side, anxious to escape his gaze as quickly as possible. He arrived at the Hall and, noticed that the students were already in place. Feeling eyes track his course across the room, Harry neared the Griffindor table. There was a space next to Neville, opposite Ron.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here?  
  
"Of course not -uh- who are you?" Neville replied, sounding much more confident than the Neville Harry knew.  
  
Harry sat down before answering. "I'm Dudley, Dudley Dursley." The words sounded strange, almost comical to his ears.  
  
"What year are you in?"  
  
"Sixth." Harry replied  
  
"us too. so you're new."  
  
"Yeah. my old school was attacked and my Mum was worried, so she sent me here where my aunt works."  
  
"You used to go to the muggle born school?" Hermione asked interested, after nervously introducing herself  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Who's your aunt, oh yeah, I'm Ron by the way, and this is Neville."  
  
"nice to meet you. My aunt is Lily Potter."  
  
"so, James Potter's your uncle?"  
  
"yep."  
  
"cool." Ron said, looking at Harry's father in an admiring way.  
  
"Is he a good teacher?"  
  
"yeah. he's really funny and let's us get away with loads."  
  
Harry smiled, and looked up at James, who caught his eye and winked.  
  
At that moment, further conversation was halted as McGonagall led the frightened looking first years in. The sorting ceremony began. Ron complained about being hungry, but was shushed by an irritated Hermione.  
  
After what seemed like an age, the ceremony was complete and food appeared on the table. They all tucked hungrily in, and soon Dumbledore began the start of term announcements. They were a lot more sombre than the Dumbledore that Harry was used to. They were all concerned with what could not be done. Warnings about going everywhere with a friend after dark.  
  
Harry noticed that Dumbledore did not awknowledge his presence, obviously hoping not to draw too much attention to him.  
  
Harry looked thoughtfully up at the man. His train of thought was interrupted by Ron.  
  
"Play Quidditch? I'm keeper for the Griffindor team. We need a seeker."  
  
"I was the team seeker at my old school."  
  
"do you want to try out?"  
  
"definitely!" Harry answered enthusiastically. He had really missed quidditch the last year after being banned by Umbridge.  
  
Harry and the others walked up to the tower, chatting happily. Harry almost forgetting that he was in another dimension. Part of him was wondering why Hermione wasn't with them. She was walking up alone, slightly apart from the group. Although she was wearing a prefect badge, she wasn't leading the first years. Neville was. His very polished badge fastened to his robe.  
  
The next morning, Harry looked at his timetable. His first class was DADA. Neville and Ron were playing exploding snap at the other end of the table, cornflakes were flying everywhere.  
  
Harry sidled up to Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book.  
  
"Hi. It's Hermione right?"  
  
"Hello Dudley." She replied, somewhat nervously.  
  
"what are you reading?"  
  
"The Rise of the Dark Arts."  
  
"oh."  
  
"do you do DADA?" Hermione asked  
  
"Yeah. I'm a bit nervous though, now that Uncle James is teaching me."  
  
"He's really good. Knows his subject."  
  
"why are you sitting up here on your own?" Harry asked, throwing caution into the wind.  
  
"I- I- um.."  
  
"Sorry." Harry said quickly "I didn't mean to upset you."  
  
"no. it's ok. It's just, I like to work, and the others can be very distracting." Harry tried not to stare. Perhaps he and Ron had a greater influence on Hermione in his world than he thought, bringing her out of her shell.  
  
"Can I sit next to you in class, as I really want to make a good impression on my uncle, living in the muggle world with my parents, I never really got to know him or my aunt that well." Harry lied  
  
Hermione smiled "yeah. we can study together."  
  
The bell signalling the first class went off and they stood up, slinging their bags over their shoulders.  
  
A/N 


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: as before  
  
Dimensions - chapter 6  
  
THANK YOU FOR REVIEWS - particularly the one about a huge plot hole that I think I have now rectified.  
  
**James POV**  
  
James stood at the front of the classroom waiting for the other students to enter. Today he would be recapping the class about the most dangerous beasts that a wizard may encounter, including dragons, basilisks and chimeras.  
  
The door banged open and the group of Griffindors and Ravenclaws entered the room. James purposefully looked out for Harry. He had spotted him talking to Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom at the feast, nice enough boys; they'd probably make good mates for Harry.  
  
Harry was today walking with Hermione Granger. A shy girl, top of all of her classes though. She smiled as Harry muttered something to her. She led him to the front desk that she usually sat at alone. James wondered if she was a friend of his in his world.  
  
James smiled in welcome. Hermione pulled out her books and showed Harry what page in the textbook they were going to be working on.  
  
Once the class had settled down and they had all opened their textbooks, James began to teach. The class listened raptly to the descriptions of the creatures, some looking a bit uneasy at the basilisk part as it was rumoured that Voldemort had a small colony of basilisks that he amassed from around the world.  
  
At the end of the class, he set homework - each student was to write an essay on one of the beasts covered in the class and how it could be fought if necessary.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
Harry stood up alongside Hermione and they exited the room.  
  
"what class are you going to next?" Hermione asked  
  
"Uh..potions."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Harry pretended to sigh in relief "great, I was worried that I'd get lost. Where is the class?"  
  
"the dungeons. Have you met Professor Snape yet?"  
  
"yeah." Harry decided to plunge ahead with the question that had been really bugging him. "How does he get on with the other teachers?"  
  
Hermione of course saw right through Harry's motives for asking the question  
  
"you've noticed that he doesn't seem to get on with your uncle?"  
  
The two of them walked into the dank dungeons, where they sat down again at the front of the classroom. The door banged open and Professor Snape strode into the room, black robes billowing behind him.  
  
"So, I see at least some of the oafs in your year managed to get good enough OWL results to proceed into my advanced class, and I must confess to being shocked that this year that even some Griffindors managed to get in."  
  
Hermione smiled proudly, and pulled out some parchment and a quill, while Harry tried to suppress a glare.  
  
"As you can see we have a student from another school. We must all remember that Mr Dursley here is the nephew of Professor Potter, so I trust he will be made.welcome." Snape smirked at the class, then glared at Harry.  
  
Harry sighed, clearly the relationship of Snape to his father was the same in this dimension too. He made a mental note to ask his dad later and began to write a list of potions instructions that Snape wrote on the board.  
  
After the class, Harry was stuffing his books into his bag he took a phial of the potion that he made in class and took it up to Snape's desk for marking. Snape looked up and shot a glare his way.  
  
The final class of the day, passed without too much excitement and Harry was glad to finally go up to his dormitory and rest. He had never realised how hard it would be to be 'the new kid'.  
  
However, when he got to the dormitory he saw it was not to be. Ron was waiting impatiently beside Harry's bed looking excited.  
  
"Quidditch tryouts! Come on!"  
  
Harry smiled and grabbed the broom his dad bought him.  
  
"Lets go then!"  
  
Harry and Ron marched out of the dorm and down to the quidditch field. There were quite a few people in the stands who had come to see the tryouts.  
  
Harry noticed that he only had one rival for the seeker position, there was quite a crowd for the chaser position that was also free.  
  
The other boy trying out for seeker, a third year, went first. He spent ages searching for the ball after Harry had spotted it; his dives were good though.  
  
"Dudley Dursley!" the captain called.  
  
Harry stepped up to his broom and took off. A short while later the snitch was released. It zipped around. Harry momentarily forgot all else as he hurtled towards it.  
  
As if sensing it's pursuer the ball shot towards the ground. Harry followed. He dived sharply and caught easily a foot from the ground. The captain then called out instructions to see what else he was capable of. Dives mostly, and sharp turns.  
  
When he landed there were cheers from the stands. The captain shouted out that he was the new seeker. Harry flew up to the stands and sat down next to Professor McGonagall. She smiled at him and congratulated him. A few seconds later he felt a hand hit his back. Spinning quickly he found himself face to face with his father.  
  
"congratulations Dudley!"  
  
"Thanks." Harry replied a little shyly.  
  
"I was seeker when I was a student here. you'll enjoy it I'm sure." James smiled, then headed back to where he had been sitting with Remus.  
  
Professor McGonagall cast a furtive look around and whispered, "You fly just like him, I haven't seen him smile like that for a long time."  
  
Harry reddened and nodded appreciatively, turning his attention back to the tryouts.  
  
As Harry headed back to the dormitory, Ron joined him "You're the best seeker we've had since my brother came here. We'll win the cup for sure this year!"  
  
Harry said the password and they entered the tower. The sight that greeted him flattened his mood within seconds.  
  
Hermione came up to the two of them, looking stricken.  
  
"Who died?" Ron asked lightly, looking a bit scared.  
  
"Nobody - yet. It's Harry Potter. He's escaped Azkaban!"  
  
Ron promptly sat down, face white. Harry just stood there, wondering whether he was supposed to be afraid or not.  
  
"Dudley, don't you see how serious this is?!" Hermione burst out "The trio are back together again - Sirius Black, Harry Potter and you-know-who! They'll be out for revenge for sure. Nobody is safe!"  
  
Harry sat down himself. While he agreed that it was indeed terrible that Voldemort had another close supporter onside, he was thrown by the total terror in his friends' eyes at the mention of his name. Again his reverie was interrupted by Ron  
  
"Maybe he's pleased. Harry Potter's his cousin!" Ron burst out to Hermione, ignoring the fact that Harry was sitting right there.  
  
"I would never support Voldemort!" Harry burst out in shock.  
  
Everyone in the room flinched. "What the hell are you doing! Nobody says the name!" Ron yelled  
  
"Look, I'm not a supporter of You-Know-who or Sirius or Harry Potter, so just back off. Last term my school was attacked, I am a muggle born. Use your common sense for crying out loud!"  
  
Harry turned to storm up to the dormitory when an owl flew through the window. Harry opened the letter that the owl delivered to him  
  
Dudley,  
  
I need to speak to you urgently. It's about the escape. I believe you may be in danger. Meet me and Lily in the hospital wing as soon as you can.  
  
James Potter  
  
Harry read the letter, crumpled it up and threw it into his bag. He took the bag upstairs, left it on his bed and hurried towards the portrait hole. "Where are you going?" Hermine called after him  
  
"My uncle wants to speak to me. I'll be back soon." And with that he headed out into the corridor.  
  
He walked along the hall, up a flight of stairs and turned into the corridor outside the hospital wing. He heard a rustle behind him, but before he could turn around a hand clamped over his mouth and his wand was taken from his pocket.  
  
Harry struggled but his captor was both bigger and stronger than him. Harry was dragged backwards into an empty classroom. Harry was released and the man, dressed entirely in black, an invisibility cloak draped over one arm pointed his wand at Harry.  
  
"Make a sound and I'll kill you." The man whispered menacingly. Harry knew the voice though.  
  
His godfather stood in front of him. "We're going on a little trip. You can meet your cousin. I'm sure he'll be pleased to meet you."  
  
With that Sirius muttered a spell under his breath and Harry crumpled to the floor, the world going black. 


	7. chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.  
  
THANK YOU FOR ALL REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
0Harry0 - alternate 'evil' Harry  
  
Dimensions chapter 7  
  
**James POV**  
  
James was sitting around a table in the great hall with the rest. They were having a crisis meeting about 0Harry0.  
  
The only two people not there were Charlie Weasley and Eryn Moonstone.  
  
It had been such a relief for the order when 0Harry0 was captured - he was a deatheater in charge of prisoners and the spies - some of them anyway - Voldemort was far too paranoid to trust 0Harry0 completely  
  
"we need to recapture him quickly - he'll be on the run now."  
  
"No he won't. He fears nothing. He will do as ordered by the dark lord." Said Snape sharply.  
  
"what about Dudley?" Lily asked "could he be in danger?!"  
  
"He could be." Dumbledore said, gravely  
  
James knew that Lily had got rather fond of this other Harry. He had to admit, even to himself that for the first time in years he felt 'normal', like he was a father. He had seen this boy now in many different situations and had seen aspects of himself - the looks, quidditch talent, interests... he could pretend that his life was normal.  
  
He stood up quickly "I'll go and check on him, make sure he's alright and make sure that he's careful."  
  
Dumbledore nodded sharply and the DADA professor left the room. James headed to the portrait of the fat lady and said the password. It swung open.  
  
James clambered into the common room and looked around. No sign of Harry. Ron and Hermione were having a tense discussion. They looked up as he approached  
  
"Professor?" Ron asked  
  
"Have you seen Dudley?"  
  
"He want to talk to you, about half an hour ago."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Ron's eyebrows came together in confusion, "You sent him a note."  
  
James stepped back, alarmed "Did he take the note with him?"  
  
"No he left it in his bag. In his dorm."  
  
James raced up the stairs. Harry's bag was on his bed. James opened it and saw a crumpled note at the top. He unfolded it and felt an icy hand of fear close tightly around his heart. This was written in the style of writing that he and Sirius used when sending secret letters across the classroom as students of Hogwarts, in case a teacher who would recognise their handwriting intercepted it.  
  
He took the note downstairs and bellowed to the room at large "Everyone! Stay in the tower. Make sure everyone' s accounted for and then keep an eye on each other!"  
  
Puffing and panting he sprinted to the hospital wing, praying that he wasn't too late. The corridors were deserted. He ran back to the great hall, slammed the door open in a very Snape - esque fashion and gasped out, "Dudley - gone - Sirius - note"  
  
"James slow down." Peter said worriedly  
  
"Sirius sent Dudley a note, pretending to be me."  
  
"What!" Minerva exclaimed  
  
"Said to meet me in the hospital wing. Now he's gone!"  
  
"He can't have been taken out of the castle - the wards." Lily exclaimed  
  
Dumbledore arranged the group to split into search parties and gave the order for everyone to comb the castle and grounds for any trace of Harry.  
  
An hour later the group returned, looking stumped.  
  
"He's been kidnapped, there's no other explanation." Remus said placidly  
  
"But only select members of the order can lower the wards long enough for someone to leave the castle. We were all here.most of us." Snape said slowly  
  
"I hope you're not accusing me!" Charlie exclaimed.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it." Snape replied sleekly.  
  
"We can only assume that one among us has activated a timed lowering of the wards, like that used when students are scheduled to leave the castle." Dumbledore said  
  
Everyone looked around warily.  
  
"So what now?" Lily asked  
  
"We need to find out what we can. Anything you hear report directly to me. Don't discuss your findings with anyone. Someone in this room is working for Voldemort."  
  
Again, everyone looked at each other.  
  
James met as many eyes as he could, feeling a deep sense of betrayal.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
Harry was in a spell induced state of unconsiousness when he felt something strike him, hard in the stomach. Someone shouted "Wake up!" loudly in his ear.  
  
Slightly winded and more than a little dazed, Harry opened his eyes. Sirius was standing over him, fist raised.  
  
"Sirius?" Harry asked. He had been dreaming about Sirius. He had been offering him a place to live. Wormtail tied up between them.  
  
"Yeah." was the brisk reply  
  
Realisation hit Harry like a bucket of icy water. Harry became alert. His hands were bound behind his back. he appeared to be in a run down shack. A leaky roof betrayed the rain, as it trickled through the multiple leaks.  
  
There was only one door, and a window, that was boarded up. The hut or whatever it was contained little furniture, just a small bed, with a foul smelling mattress. Reluctantly, Harry forced his eyes back towards Sirius.  
  
Sirius towered over Harry, who was on the floor.  
  
"why?" Harry asked, unable to stop himself. "What made you betray them?"  
  
Sirius looked taken aback for a second, then smiled cruelly. "It runs in my family." He laughed quietly "It was fun for a while, rebelling, hanging around with the muggle lovers and mudbloods. But when the war against them began I soon realised that my place was at the side of the Dark Lord."  
  
"The others never appreciated my sense of humour, never understood me. I like watching people suffer. There's no greater power than having that type of control over a person. This is how I was meant to live my life! And believe me I shall take great pleasure in torturing you. Revenge against your uncle."  
  
"What did he ever do to you! You stole his son! Ruined his life."  
  
"Come on! Ever since I revealed myself openly as a deatheater, he has tried to kill me. He helped murder members of my family. My cousins, Narcissa and Bellatrix, my brother! He locked his own son in Azkaban! He deserves to suffer!"  
  
"THEY WERE ALL DEATHEATERS!" Harry shouted  
  
"Crucio!" Sirius yelled in reply  
  
Harry writhed in the floor, his back arching in pain, screaming. When the pain finally ended, Harry noticed another figure standing in the doorway. It was like looking at your own identical twin. The main difference being that the figure had no scar and was holding a deatheater mask in his left hand.  
  
"So this is my cousin?" 0Harry0 said  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The two Harrys glared at each other. "He looks like my mother." 0Harry0 commented quietly and looked towards Sirius for instructions.  
  
"He was defending James. He' s on their side."  
  
0Harry0 nodded. "Perhaps it's time we sent my father a present"  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Sirius replied  
  
"We should kill him. Make it obvious he suffered"  
  
"Would you like to."  
  
"Not this time. I have to further perfect the spell that you used earlier. Were there any problems?"  
  
"None at all." Sirius replied "Go back to the house. I'll join you there later."  
  
0Harry0 inclined his head and left the hut.  
  
Harry shuddered involuntarily as the tall man raised his wand  
  
"You should be scared." Sirius said.  
  
Then it started. Harry repeated over and over in his head, like a mantra 'this isn't the real Sirius. This isn't the real Sirius', as he experienced unbelievable agony that seemed to last forever. Blows raining down on him, potions being forced down his throat, a knife, cutting lines along his skin.  
  
Eventually, as Harry began to loose conciousness for the third time sirius stood back. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that the man left and the door slammed closed, a lock clicking into place.  
  
Harry tried to sit up. His bones and muscles protesting against his every movement. Eventually he found himself able to drag himself onto to the worn, foul-smelling mattress. He knew only one thing for sure. The longer he stayed in this place, the less chance he would have to escape. By this time tomorrow there was every chance Sirius could have got bored and killed him, he needed to get out!  
  
But as the minutes ticked by, Harry did the only thing he could think of. He started to cry. His tears wetting the disgusting mattress upon which he lay.  
  
AN: that's it for now. Will update soon. I tried to make it as un- gruesome as possible. 


	8. chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.  
  
THANK YOU FOR ALL REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
0Harry0 - alternate 'evil' Harry  
  
Dimensions - Chapter 8  
  
Harry awoke, slowly at first, wondering what had woken him. The roof had decided to sprout another leak. Harry looked through the hole. It was still dark outside. The only light Harry was about an inch of candle, that flickered threateningly whenever a draft blew through the hut.  
  
Wringing out his now wet shirt, from where the water had come through the roof. The ropes that had tied his wrists had come loose enough while Sirius was having 'fun' and had slipped off while he slept. Harry very slowly sat up. It seemed that he had a couple of broken bones. However, Harry was spurned on by a deep desire not to see again that 'man' who was quickly destroying all of the pleasant memories and emotions Harry had once had towards his Godfather.  
  
Harry pulled himself along the wall to the door. It was locked tightly - probably magically. The window was just as impossible a barrier. His fingers became sore as he tugged uselessly at the board securely nailed to the window frame.  
  
Feeling defeated, Harry sat down again on the bed. A spring was poking out of the mattress. The only possible advantage Harry could possibly see that he had was the large, new hole in the roof.  
  
He again stood up, this time on the bed. He could just reach out the top, but the hole was too small to fit more than an arm through. A muffled hooting came from what Harry assumed was a tree nearby - an owl!  
  
Ripping a large chunk off of his shirt harry rubbed one of his multiple cuts along the piece of material - staining it a deep crimson. If he could get that owl to take this to a member of the order.they would be able to trace his location using the blood.  
  
He quietly whistled - poking his arm out of the hole for the owl to land on. He prayed that it was tame enough to deliver the letters. The owl became silent. Harry silently prayed.  
  
After several moments, Harry felt talons dig into his arm as the owl landed. He sighed in relief.  
  
"Hi sweetie." He said softly "I need you to take this to Hogwarts. Give it to Dumbledore." The owl hooted and took off, the material dangling from it's beak.  
  
Exhausted from the exertion of standing for so long, Harry fell down onto the bed. He wrenched the sharp spring from the mattress and held it tightly in defence, ready to use it to scratch anyone that touched him. Just before his eyes slipped closed, Harry slid his arms into the loose ropes.  
  
**James POV**  
  
James, Lily, Snape and Dumbledore sat in his office, watching the fireplace intently for any incoming intelligence from the other order members. The group had split up that evening with a definite chord of distrust. The only people who Dumbledore trusted unquestioningly in the care of 'Dudley' were sitting in the office with him.  
  
It was not unknown in the order for members to do what they thought was 'right' without consulting Dumbledore. Even if there was not a spy in their midst there was every chance someone had believed Harry too much of a risk, and helped get him out of the way.  
  
"I thing we should get the werewolf in here. he had more motivation than anyone else to get rid of the brat." Snape said.  
  
Sleep deprivation and stress was starting to take it's toll on them all, James noted as he looked around the room. Out of the four of them, Snape was being the most vindictive - but that was normal for him.  
  
"Leave Remus out of this. He would never give any information to the deatheaters after what they did to him!"  
  
"Where is he then? Why isn't he being forced to join in this vigil of the fireplace?" Snape said icily.  
  
"He's on patrol! As you well know!" James spat back - loosing his patience with the man completely.  
  
"shut up!" Lily shouted, uncharacteristically.  
  
James flung his arms around her shoulders. They were both reliving the experience of 0Harry0 being snatched by Sirius all those years ago. The stress was almost more than they could take.  
  
"I'm sorry love." He whispered.  
  
The fireplace flared to life. Moody's head appeared. "Nobody's heard any rumours in Diagon Alley Albus. I'll keep looking and asking around of course."  
  
"Thank you Alastor." Dumbledore said quietly as the grizzled face vanished.  
  
Lamely, Dumbledore offered some sherbert lemons around. James took one. He just couldn't find the energy to say no. Lily shook her head and continued looking into the fireplace. Snape shot Dumbledore his classic 'I'm a big scary potions master - don't mess with me glare' by way of an answer.  
  
There was a quiet hooting as an owl flew through the window. A handsome tawny owl. The four looked up as it circled the room a few times and dropped a wet, red rag onto the desk infront of Dumbledore, before flying out of the tower again.  
  
James furrowed his brow as the aged headmaster lifted the cloth and examined it. Suddenly his curious gaze became intense. It caused James to have a mental image of a lightbulb appearing above the man's head and glowing brightly, like in a muggle cartoon.  
  
"What is it?" Lily asked  
  
"A school shirt."  
  
"Is that blood?" James asked comprehension dawning.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You think Harry sent it to us to we could find him?" Lily asked hopefully  
  
As Albus made to answer Snape cut across him "It's probably a trap."  
  
"Yes I do."  
  
"For that much blood to be on the shirt he must be bleeding quite badly." James said, trying not to think about the consequenced of that.  
  
"If the shirt was wet already it would make it look like there was more blood than there actually is." Lily added, the hope not dying from her eyes.  
  
A little louder Snape repeated himself "It's probably a trap."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "It could be. Severus, I need you to summon as many able fighters as you can. We need to go tonight before they have the chance to get really prepared for us."  
  
"Lily, go and prepare the hospital wing. We don't know what state he'll be in when we find him."  
  
James felt hope surge through him as Dumbledore took control of the situation. "James, I want you to cast the finding spell as you have a closer connection with him."  
  
"Are you definitely sure it is Harry's blood?" James asked. This could be just a trick of Sirius's to toy with him.  
  
"There's only one way to find out" Dumbledore said calmly and handed James a map.  
  
James pointed his wand at the damp fabric and began an incantation. A tiny glowing golden ball appeared suspended in midair. James pointed to the map. The ball approached it. As it got closer the map changed to cover a smaller and smaller area, until the page comprised of a village, named Seapoint. The map zoomed in even more.  
  
A large manor took up most of the page, but in the grounds was a small hut/shed thing. The golden ball came to rest there.  
  
Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go. This manner is likely to be heavily warded. I'll disable them long enough for you to get him out. It is fortunate indeed that Harry contacted us rather than escaping himself, it is likely that anyone that tried to sneak out unseen would be severely wounded by any protection wards around the grounds."  
  
James and Dumbledore marched down to the edge of the grounds where about 10 others were assembled.  
  
As one they disapperated.  
  
**Harry POV**  
  
A branch outside the hut snapped. In the quiet of the night it sounded very loud. Harry's eyes opened again. He listened intently. His fist closed on the spring tight in his fist. He wasn't going to lie quietly and allow anyone to hurt him further.  
  
The lock on the door clicked open. Harry decided to give himself the advantage by pretending to be asleep. Whoever came in would think they had caught him unawares. Not that he would be able to protect himself. Broken bones, painful muscles and a rusty spring as a weapon.  
  
Three sets of footsteps approached him. Hands grabbed him and turned him over. Harry took the opportunity to swing the fist with the sharp spring to the face of his tormentor.  
  
They made a noise of surprise but caught his wrist easily.  
  
Harry opened his eyes. His father! "Dad?" Harry croaked.  
  
"Yeah. I'm here." Remus and Peter flanked him. Harry nodded to each of them.  
  
"Can you walk? We have to get out of here fast." Peter asked  
  
"I don't think so. I've limped around here a bit but."  
  
**James POV**  
  
James nodded and lifted Harry from the bed. James, Remus and Peter broke into a run as they left the hut and left the grounds.  
  
Once they were clear of the grounds, the Dumbledore and the others stopped chanting and the wards returned to place. It started to rain again. James held the teenager close. Dumbledore wrapped his cloak around Harry and they portkeyed out.  
  
James landed directly in the hospital wing. Lily came running over "Is he dead "  
  
"I'm ok." Harry whispered  
  
James laid him down on a bed and Lily began examining him immediately. Harry was in a right state. He was shaking - obviously had been the victim of pain curses and potions. He had some nasty cuts along his body, and damage that had clearly been caused by a blunt weapon of some kind.  
  
Lily had a tear running down her face as she handed Harry a goblet of sleeping potion. James himself felt like crying. He hated it when innocents got caught in the crossfire. Especially a child.  
  
"James, go to bed. I have work to do." Lily said quietly "you're exhausted"  
  
James nodded and left the wing, noticing the sky turning grey as the sun began to rise. 


	9. chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.  
  
THANK YOU FOR ALL REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Dimensions - chapter 9  
  
**Remus POV**  
  
Remus marched along the corridors of the school for his last hour of patrol. It was now 8am.  
  
Last night had been one of the worst Remus had ever been through. Watching his best friend and his wife literally reliving the kidnap of their son.  
  
The panic on their on their faces, the same shadows of self-blame lurking in their eyes. At that moment he hated Harry more than ever. The pain he was putting those people through, no matter what 'world' he was from was incredible.  
  
It was the most emotionally - conflicting moment in Remus's life when he saw the boy curled up in that hut. Sirius's work obviously. He was always able to tell if it was Sirius who had hurt someone. Part of Remus pitied the boy, realised that he had been truthful all along. The other part of him , the part he hated was a little bit pleased that HE had suffered.  
  
"Moony!" Remus was snapped out of his reverie at James's call. The black haired man fell in to step beside him. He looked exhausted but that hopeful spark had returned to his eyes.  
  
"you off to sleep?" Remus asked  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Me too, it was a long night."  
  
The two walked silently towards the teachers tower  
  
"you ok Prongs?" Remus asked.  
  
"Yeah." James sighed "Life's too complicated isn't it?"  
  
"oh yeah." Remus nodded  
  
"This past week or so must have been hard for you."  
  
Remus grunted non-committedly. James looked at Remus intently for a few minutes before marching into his room for a few hours rest, slapping Remus on the back on the way past.  
  
**Harry's POV**  
  
As Harry awoke, he was a little confused about where exactly he was. Since he had arrived in this world he had awoken to find himself in so many different places he was almost afraid to open his eyes.  
  
The good sign was that he was in a bed and did not appear to be tied to anything.  
  
He risked opening his eyes slowly. Blinded for a moment by the light he reached for his glasses slipped them on.  
  
He was laying in the hospital wing again. he ached all over. Groaning he set to remembering how exactly he had got there - Sirius - 0Harry0 - the rusty spring.  
  
Harry closed his eyes again, wishing to push those memories away again. Instead his mind drifted to the previous year, when he had stayed at Grimmauld Place with his Sirius - got to know him.  
  
Harry started as a cool hand took his. He snapped his eyes open again. James Potter was sitting next to the bed looking apologetic.  
  
"Sorry, I thought you were asleep."  
  
Harry stayed silent as he waited for his heart rate to return to normal.  
  
"How are you feeling?" James asked in concern.  
  
"Ok I guess."  
  
"Hurt anywhere?"  
  
"It aches where he..um" Harry broke off unable to finish his sentence.  
  
"Lily says you're to drink this." James said handing Harry a goblet of pain numbing potion.  
  
Harry slowly sat up and took the goblet in shaking hands. He swallowed the potion in two gulps then laid back down. Unable to stop himself, Harry shouted suddenly at nobody in particular  
  
"Why does this keep happening to me?!"  
  
James brushed the hair from Harry's face and muttered quietly "I don't know. the world sucks."  
  
They regarded each other for a moment when James seemed suddenly struck by an idea.  
  
"What?" Harry asked  
  
"Lily's in bed, it's stopped raining - finally, Dumbledore's given me the day off and everyone is in class. Let's have lunch by the lake!"  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Dunno. You're hungry right?"  
  
"A bit." Harry replied  
  
"Great. I'll contact the house elves. Hang on a minute."  
  
James disappeared for a moment and returned carrying a jumper and trousers for Harry. After helping Harry pull them on he said "ready to go?"  
  
Harry nodded, smiling. Madame Pomfrey would never allow this.  
  
"Good"  
  
James wrapped a hospital blanked around Harry's shoulders and carried him outside to the lake where a few elves had prepared a small picnic for the two of them.  
  
"Are you cold?" James queried  
  
"No. I'm fine" Harry replied. He was laying back against a tree, allowing the sun to warm him.  
  
Harry reached out and took a slice of cake that James offered him. He munched on it slowly, wishing he felt a bit stronger. At least the pain of the not-completely-healed injuries was gone.  
  
"I used to sit here and do my homework a lot when I was a student here." James commented, looking nostalgic.  
  
"I like this spot too." Harry replied. He wondered for a moment whether he should spoil the moment by asking about what he had seen that time in Snape's pensieve. Fully aware that he would regret it forever if he didn't Harry plunged ahead.  
  
"Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Anything." James replied, face alight with curiosity.  
  
"Last year at - my school" Harry looked warily around "Dumbledore wanted me to study occlumency, so Voldemort couldn't possess me or whatever. He convinced Snape to teach it to me." James nodded slowly  
  
"Before each class he'd use a pensieve to store some memories. See he hates me - a lot - and I don't think he'd trust me to accidentally see his memories and then keep quiet about it."  
  
"But one day he had to leave during a lesson and I - well I couldn't resist- "  
  
"Having a look?" James asked, a slight smile quirking his lips  
  
"Exactly"  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"I saw you and the others after your DADA owl."  
  
"you saw me hurt Snape because Sirius said he was bored?"  
  
"Yeah, so it happened here too?"  
  
"Yes. I suppose that set you to wondering that kind of man would do that to someone for 'fun'?" James said slowly  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Harry said quickly at, mistaking the look of self directed anger on James face as anger against him.  
  
"No. you have every right to ask. I was a git back then. Had a bit of an ego to be honest. Sirius liked to egg me on and I liked pleasing the crowd."  
  
Harry tried not to glare.  
  
"Snape was always a target of mine. my grandfather was killed before I was born, by a dark wizard called Grindlewald in the 30's. My grandmother never really got over it. Snape and that little group of wannabe deatheaters used to strut around - picking on the weaker ones."  
  
"They always wriggled out of trouble - Slytherins.. It pushed all of my buttons so I well - retaliated. Lucius was the leader - but he was a lot older than me. Severus was in my year. He followed Lucius around a lot - even though he was often the butt of Lucius's own cruelty. Well, I was so disgusted he became my target. Not long after that I became his as well."  
  
"God! When I think of some of the stupid humiliating things we did to each other.." James shuddered.  
  
"But he's on our side now?" Harry asked  
  
"Yep. Dunno what made him change sides though. Albus won't tell me. Since he joined us, he's saved my life a number of times, and I his. I trust him now - don't like him that much, but that doesn't matter because he doesn't like me either."  
  
Harry relaxed back, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shouders. So. This was what it was like to have parents.  
  
"Chess?" James asked  
  
"ok" Harry replied smiling- taking a sip of lemonade.  
  
The father and son spent a few hours lazing in the sun, talking and playing chess in the sunny autumn afternoon.  
  
A loud shout broke the calm of the outdoors  
  
"James Potter!!!! What on earth do you think you're doing!"  
  
Lily ran up to them and shot a poisonous look at her husband. She placed her hand on Harry's forehead, and then checked his pulse.  
  
"He's in no fit state to be messing around outside!" Lily shouted. Harry found himself forcibly reminded of Molly Weasley in a temper.  
  
"Lily, I wasn't doing him any harm. The poor kid's been through hell, I just wanted him to relax for a few hours!"  
  
As Harry anxiously looked between his two parents, Lily's glare softened into a long-suffering smile.  
  
"Well, he needs to come in now anyway. I need to check his wounds and make sure he gets some sleep" At Harry's 'I am actually here you know' look, she continued "Sorry Dudley."  
  
James lifted Harry gently and the three traipsed back up to the castle. 


	10. chapter 10

Disclaimer: as much as I'd like to own HP and make some money from it - I don't. that happy privilage belongs to JK Rowling. I am a fan hence the term - f-a-n-f-i-c-t-i-o- n. ok. So don't sue me!  
  
THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS!!!!!!! YOU'RE GREAT PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Dimensions chapter 10  
  
The next time Harry awoke he was feeling a lot stronger. He felt virtually no pain from his injuries. As he began to come to slightly he noticed Ron and Neville sitting next to his bed playing exploding snap on his bedside table. Hermione was reading an advanced transfiguration book.  
  
"Hi guys." Harry said groggily.  
  
"Dudley!" Hermione exclaimed. "when we heard that Sirius Black and Harry Potter had kidnapped you - we were all so worried! We thought that he'd murder you!"  
  
"Yeah. Sorry I said that you were in league with them mate." Ron said rather guiltily.  
  
Harry felt slightly at a loss for words. Maybe he wasn't as 'over' the situation as he would have liked to believe. "Yeah. Well I'm still here - breathing in and out, heart beating - and stuff." Harry rambled unsure as to what exactly to say. He couldn't tell these people the real pain of what he had experienced. The betrayal he felt.  
  
Neville, biting the head off of a chocolate frog that said very boldly "so - are you going to tell us what happened?"  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows in shock and a bit of horror. "uh - I - no!"  
  
"Shut up Neville." Hermione said catching the expression on Harry's face. Harry smiled at her gratefully.  
  
"When are they letting you out of here then?" Ron asked.  
  
"I dunno. Soon hopefully."  
  
"I was here a week after I got hit by a bludger." Ron said in understanding "It's a bit like a prison isn't it? I mean you can't get up you can't do ANYTHING without permission."  
  
"At least the healer is my aunt." Harry said. "Friendly face and all that."  
  
"True." Hermione said. "Has your uncle visited you?"  
  
"Yeah. he took me outside for lunch yesterday. We sat by the lake."  
  
"he's so cool." Ron said "didn't he storm into the Black's palace with Lupin and that other bloke to rescue you?"  
  
"Yes." Harry said - starting to feel vaguely nervous about the direction of the conversation again.  
  
Ron nodded in appreciation of what Harry could only assume was his idol and looked off into space muttering again "so cool."  
  
"you three are late for class!" came a voice behind them. Snape was towering over the four Griffindors.  
  
Hermione gave a small shriek of fear and sprinted from the room. Ron and Neville cast surly looks at the professor and slouched out of the room.  
  
Snape sneered at Harry "I think you should know that not everybody in this castle worships that MAN as an idol, Dursley. I don't want you labouring under any misconceptions of his brilliance. He -"  
  
Harry cut across him "I'm not. I know what sort of man he is and I know what he was like when he was younger."  
  
Snape cast a glare Harry's way and swept from the room, collecting the empty potion bottles that were lined up on a shelf on Lily's desk.  
  
Harry relaxed back into the pillows and stared into space. The school was eerily silent with everyone in class. the nurses office door opened and his mother came out humming to herself and mixing healing and pain relieving potions into a goblet. Harry watched her work.  
  
After she finished stirring she turned towards his bed and jumped slightly when she noticed Harry was awake.  
  
"Good morning !" she said brightly as she recovered herself.  
  
"Feeling better today?"  
  
"Yeah. a lot." Harry said, hoping she'd mention when he could get out of there.  
  
"This should be your last potion. In a week come back here and your cuts should be healed enough for me to make sure that no scars form, if your not still here then, I'm sure the mediwitch from your world can heal them."  
  
Harry choked on his potion. "What?!" he spluttered.  
  
Lily looked down and smoothed Harry's blanket out. Harry could've sworn he saw her eyes fill with tears. "James didn't mention it yesterday?"  
  
"No! Mention what?"  
  
"Dumbledore's been looking into how to send you home. He thinks he's found a way. He's inventing a spell to send you back. Thinks it will be a matter of days."  
  
Harry's jaw fell open in shock.  
  
"Don't you want to go home?"  
  
Harry felt a sudden stab of guilt. Since he met Lily and James he hadn't missed any of his friends or members of the order at all. But then for the first time (except Sirius) in his life he felt a true attachment to parental figures. He felt truly accepted, loved. How had it happened so fast? He hadn't been here a month even!  
  
"No. I don't." Harry said shocking even himself. Now that he thought of it this world wasn't the same, he did miss his Ron and Hermione. On the other hand, Harry knew that he would give it all up for another hug, for another lunch by the lake. Horrible things had happened to him in this world, but his life in his world wasn't exactly danger free. This was the first time however that anyone, any adult had BOTHERED to try and help through it. Had talked about it and tried to make him feel better.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lily asked "but your friends are there, your life. Surely you want to get back to it?"  
  
"no." Harry said, and added in almost a whisper, his face hot with embarrassment "You're not there."  
  
Lily sat beside Harry on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Harry leant into the warmth. "Since the second I clapped eyes on you in Azkaban, I knew that you were the teenager that my son should be, could have been. But as much as I wish it, I can't change what happened to him. When I see your soul being slowly chipped away at by the horrors that you've been forced to experience, I know that I can't loose you like I lost my Harry. I loved you the second I saw you. If you truly want to stay here, I'll fight for you."  
  
Harry was speechless. He rocked back and forth in her arms, wanting the moment to never end.  
  
Eventually they broke apart. "lets go down to the great hall for lunch, celebrate the fact that you're fit to return to class tomorrow. I want you to sit at the staff table though, just incase you start to feel ill."  
  
Harry nodded and they went to the great hall. Harry sat between James and McGonagall, both of whom seemed pleased to see him up and about. Most of the students in the hall were pointing and whispering at them.  
  
Dumbledore stood up and addressed the school "you may have noticed that we have Mr Dursley back among our number. I ask you not to hassle him for information about what happened, and a few of the teachers are finding the pointing very disturbing so could you please cease?"  
  
The main culprits lowered their heads and the people in the hall were soon talking as normal.  
  
A/N until May I am working on a full time placement. It might be harder for me to update. Don't worry though. I am not abandoning this fic till the end. Might even do a sequal when its finished. 


	11. chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Harry Potter. And (as my bank balance will attest) am not making any money whatsoever from this!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all reviewers for your patience!

Dimensions chapter 11 (and about time too, I hear you say…)

That evening Harry returned to the dormitory with Hermione and began his homework. Hermione was trying to catch him up with the work he had missed. Less than half an hour later Ron, Neville and the rest of the Griffindors were again badgering Harry about what had happened.

"Did he threaten to kill you?"

"what's his palace like?"

"Were you scared?"

Harry who was fast developing a pounding headache, stood and thrust his essays into his bag. He was getting extremely angry with Ron who should be there - defending him - telling the others to leave him alone, not joining in. Harry shot his one time best friend a poisonous glare.

"He was torturing me as revenge for my uncle putting 0Harry Potter0 into Azkaban, and was going to kill me and give my body to James as a 'present'. There! Satisfied? Now leave me alone!" Harry burst out, and stormed to the fireplace, thrusting a handful of floo powder into the flames "Lily and James Potter!"

he found himself looking into a cosy common room. James came up to the fire and knelt down "are you alright?!"

"can I stay with you tonight please?"

James looked at Harry appraisingly "Of course you can - we have a spare bed, wait in the tower, I'll come and get you."

Harry nodded and pulled his head from the fire, turning back to the thunderstruck Griffindors.

Ron came over nervously "I'm sorry Dudley. I - I don't know what to say."

"It's ok. Just - no more questions?"

"alright."

"I'll see you in class tomorrow - quidditch practice in the evening right?"

"Yeah." Ron said apprehensively

Harry turned to Hermione as James entered the tower "Thanks for your help."

She smiled at him and handed him his bag as he turned to follow James.

"Where do you live anyway?" Harry asked as he walked with his father

"Teacher's tower."

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why do you want to stay with us?"

"Too many questions - it felt - too much."

"ok. You can come to the tower any time you wish - day or night. There's always someone around to let you in."

Harry followed his father to a portrait, that swung aside following the password. There was the room Harry had seen from the fireplace. It contained a small number of tables which were piled high with books and unmarked essays. There were armchairs, a wizarding radio, chess boards, a small library, and a selection of snack foods around on tables. James followed Harry's curious gaze.

"This is where the staff come to relax in the evenings - some bring some marking up so they can have a chat while they work. We each have a floor of the tower. Ours is the forth floor. I'll get you a key."

Dumbledore who was reading muggle newspapers next to a bowl of sherbert lemons smiled in welcome. Mc Gonagall and Snape - the only other teachers present had failed to notice Harry entrance. They were embroiled in a furious chess battle. the pieces had been charmed to appear red and green rather than the more traditional colours.

"Dudley. Come here for a few minutes would you?" Dumbledore asked gesturing to a vacant sofa next to his armchair. "Lily tells my you wish to remain here. is that true?"

Harry nodded although there was probably more doubt present in his gaze than there was previously. Dumbledore gave Harry his usual piercing gaze.

"In that case - you may. If you ever wish to return - just say the word alright?"

"Yes Sir."

Harry felt James squeeze his shoulder "Lets get you upstairs."

Harry followed James up the stairs to his rooms.

"Lily's doing some work in the lounge. I've got some marking to do. Have you bought anything?"

"I haven't done that DADA essay yet."

"I can help you if you'd like. Being the teacher's nephew has to reap some benefit for you."

"Thanks, but it'll be alright."

"What are you going to do it on?"

"Basilisk."

"Why not dragon? I normally get every single essay about dragons after that class."

"Do you want me to do dragons?"

"It's up to you. I was just curious."

"I've killed a basilisk before."

Looking slightly stunned for a few moments, James smiled at his son as though he'd finally got the joke.

"When?"

"In my second year. The chamber of secrets was opened and Tom Riddle took Ginny. I had to save her, because I am the only parselmouth in the school."

"You're a" James looked shocked

"Voldemort accidentally transferred some power to me when he was defeated when I was 1"

Lily came over who had been listening from underneath her pile of work.

"You're life's really boring isn't it?" she said sarcastically

Harry snorted.

"Can you write your essay about what happened. I'd be really interested to hear it." James said - now finally realising Harry wasn't joking.

"Alright then." Harry replied and began writing.

That night, Harry crawled into the large bed in the spare room next to his parents room. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that this would ever happen. He was living - albeit for one night - with his parents. They were a family. The teenagers in Griffindor tower were nothing like they should be - which made Harry miss his 'real' friends - but - nothing could beat this.


End file.
